Tag Archives: watches

Original Grain Watch brand knocked on the wooden door of Kickstarter seeking a pledge goal of $10,000 and gained instead pledges in the amount of $348,404! Talk about timely kindling – this brand is on fire!

Original Grain is the passionate brainchild of Ryan Beltran who started the brand out of his simple desire for watch product design and his love of watches. Beltran attributes his budding watch designs on two locales, his home of Pacific Northwest and Hong Kong where he lived for the past two years.

Beltran simply wanted to design a watch that integrated both the elements of nature and metal having the substantial weight of a heavier timepiece, not present in many wooden watches currently on the market.

Beltran and the Original Grain design team invested a year in the design of the Original Grain watches and sought out watch industry professionals to carefully design prototypes that would best articulate the desired aesthetics for the Original Grain watch. This design articulation is presented in a ready for release first collection.

Original Grain’s 100% wood grain design is visibly displayed by its inner wooden bracelet links, dial and bezel harmoniously embraced by a stainless steel case and bracelet. Three distinct models emerged, Maple, Indian Rosewood and Green Sandalwood. Each watch features a 52mm diameter case with a 43 mm diameter dial.

The show cases Roman numeral at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock and an analog date aperture at 6 o’clock (Maple and Green Sandalwood models) or 3 o’clock (Rosewood model). A stylish feature of the watch bracelet is its butterfly clasp that reveals the OG logo when closed. The Maple and Green Sandalwood model have a matte black stainless steel case and bracelet, versus the Rosewood model with a high polished stainless steel case and bracelet.

With three finalized watches ready for distinguished consumers the question arose “How do we get it to production?” The answer – Kickstarter. As mention earlier the original pledge goal was $10,000, however, to date Original has $348,722 and 2,013 and counting backers as the project will fund Friday March 29 at 12:09pm. Despite being fully funded there pledge opportunities are still available at $5, $10 and $25. After the watches go into production it will be available for retail at $150.

This Kickstarter watch opportunity knocked and people responded, “Come in, I want in on this opportunity!” Guess the old adage “time waits for no man” is indeed a true saying. You can find more information about Original Grain watches on Kickstarter.

Luxury watchmaker Tissot is celebrating their 160th anniversary this year by releasing their new Heritage Navigator Watch. The Navigator was a luxury watch originally released in 1953, but Tissot has taken to updating it to create an even more elegant piece.

One of the most visible changes between the 1953 Navigator and today’s is the size of the case. Originally a small 36mm, it has now been made to measure in at 43mm. The Heritage Navigator has a stainless steel case with a beautiful black dial. The colors compliment each other so well, the band is also made from black leather. The dial has Arabic numbers and a multitude of city names. You have the ability to choose the city you want to know the time of and the bezel will show the time zone. The face is covered by a crystal glass and coated with a non-reflective cover so that you won’t face any glares. And if you choose to take it swimming, Tissot made sure to create a water resistant watch of up to thirty meters. The back of the watch is skeleton so that you can see the automatic chronometer movement.

Tissot has yet to release a price on their new Heritage Navigator Watch. However, if you are looking for an updated classic piece, this is it. The Navigator is a luxurious watch that is also quite simplistic making for a beautiful timepiece. This is truly a watch that will last years and garnish compliments from everyone. It may be Tissot’s 160th year, but our wrists are the ones celebrating.

Founded in 1881 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Movado is a Swiss luxury watch company whose name is Esperanto for “always in motion”. The company is known for its iconic Museum watch and its modern and eye-catching aesthetic. The iconic Museum watch dial is defined by a single gold dot that symbolizes the sun at high noon and the hands that symbolize the movement of the earth. The original Museum Watch by Movado designed by American designer Nathan George Horwitt in 1947 was the first watch to be displayed at the Museum of Modern Art. The watch was dubbed as “the only truly original and beautiful one for such an object” by rewnowned photographer Edward Steichen. Movado also commissioned the design and installation of “Time Sculpture,” which was designed by architect Philip Johnson, and is located outside Lincoln Center in New York City. Today, Movado has more than 100 patents and 200 international awards for its innovation in design and watch technology as well its unique artistry. Movado celebrated its 125th year of watchmaking in 2006 and is still going strong.

The simple and elegant features often observed in Movado timepieces can be seen in its ESQ One collection as well. This unisex watch has a very cool and fun vibe. It comes in 12 different models, which include orange, white, yellow, navy, black, turquoise, fuschia and combination of these colors. The colors are vibrant and eye-catching and very fashionable. The ESQ One comes in a silicone-wrapped steel case that is 42.5 millimeters in diameter. It has a screw-down polycarbonate crown and a soft silicone strap with a unique logo-button that match color of the case. The case is water resistant to 10 ATM. The dial comes in various colors depending on the model of the watch. The Arabic numerals on the three o’clock, six o’clock and nine o’clock positions are pretty prominent and easily legible as are the indices on the others. There is a date window at the four o’clock position as well.

Yellow ESQ ONE by Movado

ESQ One by Movado – Technical Specifics:

Dial – Various colors (depends on model) with Arabic numerals (at three, six, and nine o’clock) and index; date window at the four o’clock position

If your special someone neglected to deliver roses on Valentine’s Day, Fossil has a fabulous collection Rose Gold watches that’s sure to grant a reprieve of the heart, even if it’s only temporary.

Fossil has been busy germinating its watch designs to deliver some of the most beautiful organic rose gold stainless steel watches made exclusively for the ladies. Fossil’s labor of love has definitely paid off, as Stephen Sonheim’s lyrics say it best, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses!”

Georgia Stainless Steel Watch definitely lingers in the mind and looks absolutely exquisite on the wrist. This watch breathes feminine elegance in a satin finish rose gold stainless steel bracelet and round 32 mm round case. The finely embossed white dial is accentuated by hour/minute hands, a sweeping seconds hand, and hour indices with Arabic numerals at 12 and 6 o’clock. This is boyfriend inspired Fossil watch features their signature Adjust-O-Matic closure which allows for self-adjust of the watch bracelet. (Style: ES3110)

Retro Traveler Stainless Steel Watch is Fossil’s newest rose gold stainless steel watch that sports a bezel adorned with sparkling crystals. Designed to be reminiscent of European diving watches, Retro Traveler exhibits bold sporty contours and styling while maintaining feminine elegance. It show cases with a 36 mm case and link style bracelet. The dial is a muted rose color with luminescent indices and hour/minute hands. It also has rose gold tone sweeping seconds hand and displays a date aperture window at 3 o’clock. This elegant watch is for the lady that manages an active schedule and dares to look great while juggling it all. (Style: AM4454)

Emma Stainless Steel Watch is elegance personified. This rose gold stainless steel watch oozes luxury to the fifth power. Design features include an heirloom inspired presentation accentuated by an elegant mother-of-pearl dial and crystal encrusted bezel that makes time visually pleasing when reading its rose gold tone Roman numeral hours. It has a round 38 mm case with a graduated link style bracelet that has a double press deployant closure. Emma is definitely one of Fossil’s most luxurious watches in its Rose Gold Stainless Steel watch collection and a perfect addition for your watch collection. (Style ES3186)

Any of these Fossil timepieces will complement your wardrobes and have it looking as sweet as rose. Fossil has capitalized upon designing beautiful rose gold tone watches that capture the spirit and sporty styling of elegance. A rose is still after all, a rose gold watch.

TAG Heuer and superstar Cameron Diaz have recently joined forces to release the limited edition Link Lady Trilogy in support of UN Women.

TAG Heuer’s Link and Link Lady collections are known for its distinctive yet ergonomic and comfortable S-shaped metal bracelet. The new face of the Link Lady collection, Cameron Diaz, and TAG Heuer have chosen to celebrate the occasion by releasing a combination watch and jewelry set: the Link Lady Trilogy.

The centerpiece of this limited edition set is the watch, a Link Lady Automatic. This watch is the first automatic watch for women in the Link collection and features a rounded, highly polished case. The watch face features a delicately designed dial and date window in the 6 o’clock position, and is decorated with a ripping pattern of concentric circles. The watch’s transparent sapphire caseback is not only inscribed with the signature of Cameron Diaz herself but also showcases the watch’s powerful movement. A fully diamond-lined bezel tops off this watch’s sparkling appeal. The watch is presented in its jewel box with a bracelet and ring, both of which are forged of the same signature stainless steel as the watch itself and are crafted to mimic the distinct links of the Link Lady Automatic’s bracelet strap. So far the Link Lady trilogy has been seen in plain stainless steel and yellow gold-plated versions.

As stated earlier, the Link Lady Trilogy has been designed and produced in a limited edition aimed at bringing financial aid to UN Women, or the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The organization is part of the United Nations Development Group, an entity that was created in the late ’90s and helps improve the UN’s effectiveness on a national level. UN Women is dedicated in particular to helping hold the UN accountable for its commitment to gender equality, among other duties.

Released in tandem with the Link Lady Trilogy was the limited edition “Leonardo DiCaprio” Link Calibre 16 Chronograph. This latest addition to the Link line’s men’s collection has been released in a run of only 2000 pieces and features a dial lacquered navy blue, and its smoked sapphire caseback features Leonardo DiCaprio’s signature. As with the Link Lady Trilogy, proceeds from the sale of this limited edition will go to support a charitable cause—in this case Leonardo DiCaprio’s charitable parterns in the US, Green Cross International and the National Resources Defense Council. Both organizations are dedicated to environmental causes.

With these latest additions to their already-celebrated Link collection, TAG Heuer has proven not only its dedication to creating elegant, high-quality timepieces but its commitment to social responsibility.

Launched earlier this year, HYT’s revolutionary new H1 watch has already garnered several international awards for its innovative design.

So far HYT has been awarded the Best Concept Watch Award in Meciso’s prestigious Salon Internacional Alta Relojera. The second award HYT has already garnered comes from New Delhi, where HYT yet again won the Best Concept Watch Award 2012, at the Watch World Award 2012 ceremony. HYT has also been awarded the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix Award 2012 for Best Innovative Watch Concept 2012.

The H1 combines fluid mechanics and traditional clockwork to create a unique means of telling the time. A capillary circles the watch casing, and this tube is filled with a carefully engineered combination of liquids—one brightly colored, the other transparent. Due to the difference in viscosity of these liquids the clear liquid and colored liquid remain separated. Two small reservoirs-cum-bellows serve to both store the liquid as well as pump it through the capillary. The end result is that as the amount of colored liquid increases in the tube the amount of transparent liquid decreases, and the meniscus between the different-colored liquids marks out the hours as it passes the twelve hour marks on the H1’s bevel. A more conventional counter is used to mark the minutes. Together, the hour-marking action of the capillary and bellows plus the conventional ticking of the minutes form a unique, innovative, and exciting means of telling the time.

The reservoir-cum-bellows that hold and move the liquid are visible through the lower half of the H1’s face, lending the watch a H1 a rugged appearance. The clear sapphire crystal back of the watch displays the conventional movement of the watch’s interior. This clockwork not only drives the reservoirs but the minute marker. The H1 is a watch that wears its inner workings as a badge of honor and it has so far been released in four different colorways: Titanium, Black DLC, Black DLC-Pink Gold, and Pink Gold.

With three awards already under its belt, there can be no doubt that HYT has already made its mark on the watchmaking world. There’s no doubt that further experiments in watchmaking are to come from this young, innovative company.

Last month Swiss watchmaker Bedat & Co celebrated their first successful exhibition in the island nation of Singapore, promoting their 2012 collection to a new audience.

Bedat & Co. is a fairly young brand, started by Simone Bedat with her son Christian in 1996. The brand has since made its name by specializing in timepieces with Art Deco-inspired designs and a feminine touch. Singapore was chosen to be the site of this exhibition due to Bedat & Co. feeling the nation is “an important style icon in the world” where there is a “high number of independent, high-powered and intelligent women”–the core of the brand’s target market. The exhibition took place over September 14-23 and was held in Wisma Atria, a shopping center long known for catering to fashionistas by offering a combination of renowned international brands and unique fashion labels within its walls.

Partway through the exhibition’s duration a gala presentation was held in order to showcase Bedat & Co.’s creations to the media, celebrities, fashion icons, and watch enthusiasts of Singapore. Bedat & Co. President Mr. Frank Low and Director of Creations Dino Modolo were in attendance as well as over 150 exclusive guests. Human statues wearing Bedat’s timepieces were used to showcase the timepieces and the crowd was kept entertained by Clarissa Monteiro, a well-known jazz singer who presided over the gala as Master of Ceremonies.

In addition to the statues Bedat presented their timepieces on the catwalk. The highlight of the show was Singaporean celebrity Sheila Sim, who walked the catwalk wearing the crown of Bedat & Co. beautiful Extravaganza collection: the Ref. 887. This watch features a round face surrounded by diamonds laid in an arrangement of radiating curves that recals the petals of a many-layered flower. The Ref. 887 is also notable for an extra bit of dazzle on its face, a rotating diamond located in the 6 o’clock position. Its casing is made of solid 18-carat rose gold and it comes with a rolled-edge satin strap. Furthermore the Ref. 887 is available in four different colors that range from a sober black to a fun dark pink.

The other notable watch of the exhibition was the newly-launched Ref. 823. An innovative member of Bedat’s No. 8 collection, this simple and elegant design features a round stainless steel case, a central rotating diamond. This model is notable for featuring an interchangable center attachment, allowing its owner a choice of straps: hand-stitched alligator leather or a stainless steel “mille mailles” bracelet.

Bedat & Co. Is to be congratulated on their successful exhibition. There’s no doubt that many more elegant, beautiful creations are to come from this brand.

One of the leading Swiss watch brands, Hublot recently opened its largest Chinese boutique to date in the city of Xiamen—the latest step of its growth in the Chinese market.

Founded in 1980 by Carlo Crocco, designer of the first natural rubber strap in watchmaking history, Hublot has gone on to open over 50 stores in cities all around the world. Their new store in Xiamen is the sixth of their stores in China. Xiamen is a major city located on China’s southeast coast and is known for both its diverse industry and the beauty of its surrounding countryside.

The store is located in one of Xiamen’s many shopping districts, a luxury shopping area known as China Town, and covers over 200 meters. In accordance with the brand’s determination to embody the “Art of Fusion”, the store’s design combines Hublot’s signature black with discreet, luxurious, and high tech elements. Private VIP rooms and highly-experienced staff combine to bring visitors an unparalleled shopping experience.

Hublot demonstrates the “Art of Fusion” in architectural form. (images taken from Hublot’s online press release).

The opening of this boutique coincided with the arrival of two more of Hublot’s artistic efforts in China. The first is the opening of an exhibition that embodies Hublot’s philosophy of the “Art of Fusion” and features classic timepieces from Hublot’s many collections over the years. All of these are on display as examples of Hublot’s fusion of traditional Swiss watchmaking with modern techniques and materials. The second event is the arrival of the “20 years of Ferrari in China” exhibition in Xiamen, a nationwide roadshow and exhibition that is jointly supported by Hublot. The exhibition featured the arrival of an exclusive version of the Ferrari 458 Italia, of which only twenty will be made. None of them will be sold outside of China.

As Hublot and Ferrari have a well-known partnership it’s not surprise that Hublot would be on hand to aid and celebrate Ferrari’s expansion into Chinese markets. In fact, their partnership has recently borne fruit with the release of Hublot’s brand new, limited edition Big Bang Ferrari watch, which utilizes a brand new material called “Magic Gold”–the strongest gold ever created and a revolutionary material developed by Hublot itself.

This boutique in Xiamen’s China Town is the sixth of Hublot’s stores in China, and with more to come—the number of Hublot boutiques in China is expected to reach ten in the next six months—it’s safe to say that Hublot’s future in China looks bright.

Last month Breguet, a Swiss watch manufacturer, received three awards in MontresPassion magazine’s 19th annual Watch of the Year competition as the result of juried judging and popular online vote.

Breguet was founded in Paris in 1775, and over the centuries its clientele have included everyone from royalty to explorers, diplomats to bankers. The brand also has a storied clientele in literature, appearing on characters from celebrated works such as Leo Tolstory’s “War and Peace” and Alexandre Dumas’ “The Count of Monte Cristo.” MontresPassion is a Swiss magazine that is published in French, devoted to celebrating watches and those who make and wear them. The magazine has held its annual Watch of the Year compeition since 1994.

This year’s event was well attended by over 600 personalities, all gathered to honor the best watch creations of 2012. Despite the competition’s long history this was the first year that a single brand has come away with so many prizes. The two Breguet watches honored in the competition were the Héritage phases de lune rétrograde and Tradition GMT, both of which had been first unveiled at the 2012 Basil Watch Show.

In particular the Héritage phases de lune rétrograde was given two awards, Watch of the Year 2012 and 2012 Ladies’ Watch Prize. The Tradition GMT emerged as the clear winner in the Public’s Prize. For this prize a carefully selected list of 40 watches was presented to the public to consider and vote on through the magazine’s website. As such, Breguet can rest knowing that both experts and the public alike laud their timepieces.

The Héritage phases de lune rétrograde has a rose gold case shaped in a tonneau or barrel-shape. It’s hands are located in a center dial made of mother-of-pearl and its face features Roman numerals whose size and shape morph to fit in the space between the round center dial and the tonneau shape of its casing. However, it’s most striking feature is the rose gold moon located at one o’clock on the watch face which shows the phases of the moon. Looking at this elegant watch with its delicate lunar ode it’s obvious why it won two awards in Montres Passion’s juried competition.

By contrast the Tradition GMT has a solidly round casing, also case in rose gold. It features faces, both marked with Roman numerals—one white face for the primary time zone, and one black face for a secondary time zone. The two faces are set as two circles without the larger circle of the casing, each one with edges just barely tangent to each other. The gaps between the faces and the edge of the casing reveal the delicate gears that make up the watch’s finely-tuned interior, making the Tradition GMT a rugged contrast to the delicacy of the Héritage phases de lune rétrograde. Looking at the still picture of this watch one can easily imagine the hypnotic movement of the hands around their dial and of the layers of machinery beneath, making it obvious why this gorgeous timepiece was selected for MontresPassion’s Public’s Prize.

Congratulations to Breguet both for creating such beautiful timepieces, and for the prizes their hard work has won them. We look forward to seeing what Breguet has up its sleeve for 2013.

Ball and BMW have teamed up to release a collection of watches that combines the highest standard of watch-making with slick automobile glamour.

This collaboration between two major luxury brands was first announced months ago and the collection consists of three models, with a total of 28 non-limited versions. The models are the Classic, GMT, and Power Reserve. All three models feature detailing that echoes classic BMW design, including discreet renditions of the BMW logo. However, as befits its dual heritage, all models also feature the distinctive tritium tube gas illumination that is particular of Ball’s timepieces, and all three will feature COSC-certified automatic movements.

The Classic model’s face is distinguished by the round BMW logo that is engraved in the watch face and located across the 7 o’clock and 8 o’clock positions. A date counter is located at the 3 o’clock face. The overall impression is sleek and minimalist. The GMT design features a sportier, more rugged design, with a dark watch face that marks the house, minutes, and seconds with markings that recall the dashboard of a BMW vehicle. The date counter is again located in the 3 o’clock position, but this time a small, discreet color BMW logo is located next to it.

The final Power Reserve model combines the previous two models in its look. The watch face has the same dashboard-echoing design of the GMT, as well as the same date counter and BMW logo in the 3 o’clock position. However, it features the same round detail in the lower lefthand corner of the watch face as the Classic—though in the Power Reserve the round inset serves as an indicator of the watch’s titular power reserve, as opposed to simple decoration.

All three models additionally have the BMW logo embossed on the dial and come in a variety of colorways. The Classic comes with metal bracelet or leather strap while the GMT and Power Reserve come with metal bracelet and leather or rubber strap. Coming soon is a limited edition model that will feature a thermometer as part of its design.

This beautiful collection is a wonderful fusion of Ball and BMW design, featuring signature BMW design details while retaining the distinctive look and feel of Ball’s quality timepieces. These are truly watches for any fan of the BMW lifestyle.